BetrayalGuiltLove
by prettycharmedsista
Summary: When Gabriella kisses Ryan, what will she do? Will she lie, or risk losing everyone she cares about? Post HSM2 Troyella
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own HSM... This is my first story... I hope you like it!**

She leaned in, intoxicated by his smell. Her eyes took in his deep brown, as they fluttered closed, and her rosy painted lips parted in anticipation. Their lips began a slow dance that was new and unfamiliar, which confused her. She could see his piercing eyes in her mind, the ocean blue she loved, tinged with sadness. She slowly pulled back, and opened her eyes, again locking onto the sparkling chocolate brown. Wait, brown? Gabriella knew that wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" asked a high pitched voice. What happened to the smooth silky tone she knew off by heart? Gabriella's stomach churned in dread, and she finally broke contact with the eyes, and took in the rest of her companion. She blinked a few times to clear her hazy vision. Her heart stopped as she stared in horror at the thin sallow boy in front of her. His pasty skin contrasted with his bright pink shirt, and his blonde hair lay flat on his head, under a glittery hat. This was all wrong. Instead of her Troy, she was staring at one of her best friends, who had a concerned look on his face.

"Ryan?" she whispered, afraid that if she said his name aloud that it would all be true. But Gabriella could not wake up from this nightmare. She couldn't believe what had happened.

There was no doubt that Ryan and Gabriella had grown really close over the summer. She found herself calling him, and going over to his house whenever Troy couldn't make it to their dates. She hadn't noticed then, but he was slowly taking the place of her absentee boyfriend. When she broke up with Troy, she cried in her room for an hour before she called Ryan. It was then that she knew that he meant more to her than even Taylor. But Troy had come around, and done the right thing in the end. After she sang with him at the talent show they spent a week talking about everything, their hopes and dreams for the future, and the importance of their relationship. It hadn't been easy, but they had worked it out, and she had forgiven him. Everything was going great until Troy discovered Ryan was now a permanent part of her life. In fact, it was a huge argument, possibly the biggest one they had had in their whole relationship.

"_I don't want you alone with him," Troy pleaded. _

"_He's my friend Troy, he's a part of this group. Just like Chad, Jason or Zeke. Would you have a problem if I was hanging out alone with any of them?" Gabriella retorted. She couldn't understand why Troy was behaving like this, especially since she had just forgiven him. _

"_Gabi, it's not like Chad or Jason or Zeke. They are my best friends, and anyway, they have girlfriends. I don't trust Ryan. "_

_Gabriella looked up into the stormy blue eyes of her boyfriend in disbelief. _He _doesn't trust _Ryan_? After what they just went through Gabriella couldn't believe what she was hearing._

"_You don't trust Ryan? Or is it that you don't trust me?" Gabriella snapped. _

"_Gabi, it's not like that. It's just..." Troy quickly attempted to cover._

"_You know what Troy? That's just great. Because, after this summer, I'm the one who can't trust _you._" She felt a pang of guilt as she saw Troy's eyes shut in pain, but she was too incensed to stop now. "While you were off securing your future, at any cost, Ryan was there for me. He was there for all of us. Now I know we're trying to move past that, and I have forgiven you, but you can't just expect everything to go back to the way it was. Ryan was there for the guys when _you_ bailed on them for the baseball game. He was there for us when _you_ left us without a lead for the talent show. And most importantly, he was there for _me_ when you weren't." Unable to take it anymore, Gabriella dissolved into tears. "Whether you like it or not, Ryan is a part of the group now, because you weren't this summer." Troy hung his head in shame and Gabriella knew she had hit him where it hurt. She loved Troy so much, but she just couldn't let this one go. Ryan had helped her through so much; she couldn't just forget him now that Troy was back._

_Troy looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Gabriella, I will never forgive myself for the way I treated you. Future or no future, there's no excuse for acting like such a jerk. And I know Ryan filled my place with our friends, the place I left open. I get it. That's why I don't tell Chad or Jason or Zeke to stop hanging out with him. But this is different Gabi. He doesn't just want to be your friend. I've seen the way he looks at you. Let him take my place as a friend, teammate, or musical lead, but please don't let him take my place as your boyfriend."_

"_Troy, you don't know what you're saying. I love you, and I know you love me. But he is my best friend, and I will hang out with him whenever or wherever we want," Gabriella stated firmly, as she felt her resolve building again. She gathered her purse and coat, and stood up to leave._

"_But Gabi," Troy started as he rose._

"_No buts Troy. I've heard enough. You can't tell me who I can or cannot see. Not now, not after this summer." With that she slammed his front door, and left him alone. _

Troy had apologised and had genuinely tried to get along with Ryan. They had overcome another obstacle in their relationship, or so she thought. When she told him about this party, he had brought it up again. He had said crazy things about Ryan being in love with her, and how he didn't like her going to a party where she didn't know anyone else. It had made her angry, and so he had relented, not wanting to fight. As she looked back on her outrage, that her boyfriend did not trust her enough to hang out with her friend at his cousin's 21st birthday party, her heart sank, realising that she had proven him right.

"Gabriella? What's wrong?" Ryan repeated. "Are you ok? Do you want to sit down? It's quite crowded here." Gabriella barely noticed the other bodies compressed together on the tiny dance floor, but she nodded weakly, and followed as he led her back to their table. The sorrowful azure eyes popped into her head again as she began running through her options in her mind. However, even though she was extremely emotional, Gabriella's computerised brain knew there was only one logical answer. She had to tell him. But how? She felt Ryan slow down, and she matched his pace. Her dread grew as her thoughts drifted towards her friend.

Ryan. Ryan, who was there for her, when she needed someone the most. She would be hurting him too. She could sense through his concern for her current state, that he was truly excited about their kiss. How could she explain it to him that it was Troy she was thinking of? It was Troy that she really loved.

Her head was pounding as she felt Ryan's hand on her back as he guided her to the foyer of the club, where it was quieter. The cool breeze floating through the open door calmed her, albeit just for a second. She knew she had to get out of here.

"Ryan?" she whispered as she turned to face his concerned face. "I think I want to go home." She couldn't bear it anymore.

"Of course Gabriella, let's go. I just need to tell my cousin." He turned to head back into the throng of people. Gabriella clutched onto the doorframe to support herself. She barely knew what was happening until she felt herself being pulled towards Ryan's convertible. She shut her eyes to block out the thoughts racing through her head, but all she could see were those blue eyes staring back at her, this time in confusion. How could she explain what had happened when she herself didn't quite know. Keeping her eyes closed did stop Ryan from talking to her, and for that she was grateful. The last thing she needed was to be making small talk when she really wanted to wake up from what surely must be a nightmare.

"Gabriella? We're here," Ryan paused, leaning toward her. Gabriella 'woke up', and unfastened her seat belt.

"Uh, thanks for tonight Ryan" she mumbled before mentally slapping herself for implying she had a good time. Before she could make the situation any worse, she bolted towards her front door. Her hazy vision was finally clearing, and her headache was getting better, but the stab of pain in her heart was slowly tearing her to shreds. She forced herself to turn around and smiled weakly at Ryan while waving as he grinned at her enthusiastically before finally driving off. She shook her head at his excitement. What was she going to do?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading... Sorry for the short chapter... Still don't own HSM or any of their songs :) **

**Special thanks to AddyD90 for reviewing-this story is more Gabriella centric, but Troy will feature soon!**

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She entered her quiet house, and was grateful that her mother was away at an international conference in London. Gabriella was slowly beginning to remember what happened, and she was sure she was at least a little drunk, which was definitely not what she wanted her mother to see. As Gabriella trudged up the stairs towards her room, the night's events began to flash in front of her eyes.

"_And that's why my mum still calls me Duckie." Ryan rolled his eyes. Gabriella laughed at the mental picture of a younger Ryan chasing ducks with trash can lids because they wouldn't be his friends. As her laughter died down Gabriella sighed in contentment. This is what she loved about spending time with Ryan; it was just fun and easy. Troy didn't know what he was talking about. She began to feel her annoyance resurface._

"_Gabriella? Are you ok?" Ryan asked, noticing her face change. _

"_I'm fine," she smiled. "I just need a drink." _

_Ryan leapt up immediately before she could protest, and headed to the kitchen, motioning for her to stay put. He soon returned with two cups of murky brown liquid. Gabriella looked down and bit back a protest. She was, after all, Ryan's guest and she didn't want to seem impolite. It crossed her mind that it was unlike what Troy would have brought her, but she quickly pushed that thought away before taking a sip. It burned down her throat but she forced a smile, and kept drinking._

Gabriella groaned. It was clear that she had consumed some sort of alcoholic drink that was much stronger than what she was used to. She hadn't really thought it would hurt at the time, but as she kept finishing her cup, Ryan would keep refilling it. She hadn't the heart to refuse at first, and as she kept going she no longer wanted to.

"_Thanks for bringing me Ryan! It's so much fun!" Gabriella beamed at her friend. They had moved over to the dance floor, and Gabriella was having a good time. She had learnt how good Ryan was at dancing over the summer, and enjoyed trying out the dance moves she had learnt from him. Her head was hurting a little, and she was about to suggest they take a break. However, just as she opened her mouth, she heard the opening chords of a familiar song. _

Livin' in my own world

Didn't understand

That anything can happen

When you take a chance

_Suddenly Gabriella was transported back in time to a small stage in a ski chalet. All she could she was Troy and she realised she missed him. As fun as the party had been with Ryan, and as much as she had been angry at Troy, she loved him, and she needed him. _

I never knew that it could happen

Till it happened to me

I didn't know it before

But now it's easy to see

_She began swaying to the music lost in her own world, remembering how Troy had made her feel even then. One look and she had fallen for him, almost literally, Gabriella smiled wryly, as she pictured herself almost falling off the stage. How could she resist those eyes, always filled with emotion. It's how she knew he was really sorry for the summer, and that's why she forgave him._

And now looking in your eyes

I feel in my heart

The start of something new

Start of something new

_Caught up in her thoughts of Troy, she leaned in, intoxicated by his smell. Her eyes took in his deep brown, as they fluttered closed, and her rosy painted lips parted in anticipation._

Gabriella snapped back to the present. How could she mistake Ryan for Troy? If only she had realised before it was too late. She felt sick to her stomach and barely made it to her bathroom before she threw up. There she stayed, crumpled in a heap, purging every few minutes. She knew it was more than just the alcohol, she felt so disgusted with herself, that it was making her physically sick. When she finally felt empty, she dragged herself to her bed, closing her eyes, trying not to think about tomorrow, and the repercussions of the night's events. Just as she began to doze off, her phone buzzed on the nightstand beside her. She could have ignored it. Later she would wish that she had. She opened the message and, as she read it, tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to hold them back, but she couldn't, and they spilled over until they were pouring down her face. She spent the rest of the night sobbing and shaking in her bed, until she finally went to sleep, clutching the phone which read:

_Gabi_

_Sorry I was such a jerk. _

_Please forgive me, I was just jealous._

_I do trust you._

_Hope the party was fun._

_I love you._

_Xx Troy_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys! I'm in a good mood because my fave soccer team finally won away yesterday! So here's the next chapter a bit early :) Still don't own HSM... And a special thanks to Dave Piella for the review!**

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Gabriella woke up the next morning with a killer headache. She glanced at the phone clutched in her hand. Her eyes widened at the sight of the text message still open on the screen, and a tear slipped down her cheek when she realised her nightmare was a reality. She had to figure out what to do, about Troy, and... Ryan. She winced. She would end up hurting both of them. The two people she cared most about. What could she do?

Her phone buzzed signalling an incoming text. She bit her lip before opening it.

_Hey beautiful_

_Are you coming over today?_

_Can't wait to see you._

_I love you._

_Xx Troy_

She couldn't see him. Not till she figured everything out. She quickly typed back, thinking of an excuse.

_Not today Troy. I have to study._

_See you at school tomorrow._

_Love Gabi_

She felt sick writing 'Love Gabi' as if nothing was wrong, but she didn't want Troy to sense anything wrong with her until she was ready to talk to him. Her phone buzzed again.

_What, my genius girlfriend can't take a break for an hour? I thought you finished the weekend's homework on Friday? Come on Gabi, let me come over then. At least you won't have to worry about travel time. I just want to see you. You know you wouldn't mind a little... distraction ;)_

_Love you_

_Xx T_

Damn it. She had forgotten that she told him she finished all her work on Friday so that she would have the whole weekend free. Saturday was for Ryan, and Sunday for him as a compromise. For once she wished he wasn't so perceptive. As much as she wanted to see him, and to pretend like everything was alright, it wasn't and she couldn't.

_You can't. Have extra study._

It was only when she had pressed 'send' it that she realised in her rush she hadn't thought to embellish her text at all. Not an 'I love you', a kiss, she hadn't even used his name. She crossed her fingers, hoping he wouldn't notice, or that he would just assume she was actually busy studying.

No such luck. This time her phone rang. She was going to pick it up out of instinct, but her voice caught. She couldn't speak to him, hear his voice. Not until she knew what she was going to do. Instead she listened to her ringtone, the very song that had proved her downfall the previous night, until it rang out. Gabriella didn't bother checking the message. She swiftly rose from her bed, locked her balcony door, and shut the curtains. She ruffled through her desk drawers, and returned to her bed with a fresh sheet of paper and a pen.

Gabriella figured she had three options. She wrote them down on the sheet, with a pros and cons column for each.

Firstly, she could pretend nothing had happened, and keep Troy away from Ryan in case he spilled the secret. Of course she also had to ignore Ryan, and if it ever came out she would have to deny it, and say Ryan was making it all up. The pro would be that nothing would change between her and Troy. The con was that she would always be waiting for the slip up, and would be constantly paranoid which would ruin her relationship anyway. Also she didn't want to make Ryan out to be a liar, and she didn't really want to ignore him forever, he had been such a good friend to her, and she couldn't do that to him just because she had messed up.

She was about to write up a pros and cons list for the second option when she was startled by footsteps, and a knock at her balcony door. She smiled slightly. Her boyfriend was nothing if not predictable.

"Gabriella?" called Troy. Gabriella held her breath, not wanting to give him any reason to think she was in there.

"If you really are studying you should be in there." She rolled her eyes. He had to pick today to remember every little detail. How many things had he forgotten over the summer? Dinners, lunches, baseball games. Now suddenly he was Mr. Know It All.

"Come on Gabi. Please? I'm really sorry about the way I acted. You were right. I had no right to do that after... you know." Gabriella heard the pain in his voice as he begged her to let him in. He thought it was his fault, and it only made her feel worse.

"Gabriella? Please believe me. I know I keep messing up, but I love you so much. That has to count for something? Please... just let me in. You can yell at me if you want, you can even hit me. Please just... just don't shut me out," Troy's usually strong voice was trembling, and it was killing her. She wanted nothing more than to throw her doors open and hug him and kiss away the pain and guilt they were both feeling.

But she stayed still for what seemed like an eternity until she heard him whisper, "Please don't give up on me," before climbing down her tree. She let out a huge breath that she didn't know she had taken, and returned to her list with new vigour.

The second option was for her to talk to Ryan, and for them to both lie to Troy, and pretend like nothing happened. This time the pro was that since no one else Troy knew was at the party, not even Sharpay, who was at an audition instead, he would never find out. Also, even though Ryan would be crushed that she didn't want to be with him, at least she wasn't going to ignore him. The con was that Troy could still find out if one of them wasn't on their guard at all times, and Gabriella would still be living a lie.

The last option was to tell them both the truth. Ryan would know that she really loved Troy, and that she never meant to kiss him. Troy would learn that she kissed Ryan, even though she really loved him. The pro was that she would be doing the right thing by being honest. The con was that would not only lose her best friend, but would also lose the love of her life. Before she could think about anything else, her phone buzzed again. She looked at it fearfully, before gathering the courage to see what Troy had written now.

_Hey Gabs._

_Had a gr8 time last night ;) _

_XO Ryan_

Oh no, not him too. Gabriella glared at the phone, madder at _it_ rather than either of the boys. She knew she was really mad at herself. How often she had criticised TV characters for doing exactly what she had done. How could someone kiss a boy they weren't in love with when they had an amazing boyfriend? Gabriella had always thought that it was an unrealistic plot device used to add more drama, and gain more ratings, but here she was in exactly the same situation.

She switched her phone off before she could get any more texts from either boy, or from her other friends. She winced again at the thought of her friends. They had somehow formed this group of extremely different people, with completely different interests, and therefore, different allegiances. After what she had done to Troy and Ryan they were bound to take sides. Her mouth trembled at the fact that no matter which side they were on, Troy's or Ryan's, there would be no one on hers.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Don't own HSM... This is a very dramatic chapter! What will Gabriella do? Hope you like it... Only one chapter to go after this!**

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Gabriella had mulled over her options for the whole of Sunday without coming to any conclusion. She was leaning toward option two and hoped Ryan would understand. Maybe then her friends would never find out. But this still made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to do the right thing, be honest, but could she risk losing everything? Losing everyone she ever cared about? Could she go back to the way that things were at her old schools? Except, she thought ruefully, this would be worse. At those schools she had faded into the background as another quiet nerd. Here she would be known by the whole school as the girl that broke the hearts of their Golden Boy basketball captain, and the shy drama captain who was finally coming out of the shadow of his Ice Queen sister. Could she live with that?

On Monday, Gabriella left for school early, texting Troy saying that she needed to get to school early, and that she was already on the bus, so he didn't try to pick her up. She knew she had to make her decision soon. She had ruled out the first option, of ignoring Ryan, and pretending nothing happened because she knew that would never work. Therefore, regardless of whether she decided to tell Troy or not, she knew she needed to talk to Ryan, and explain herself.

As she arrived at school she debated calling Ryan, to see where he was, but as that involved turning her phone back on, she decided against it. She had already seen the number of texts she had received, from both Troy and Ryan, when she had used her phone to text Troy. She had decided against opening any of them, as she wanted her mind to be clear and clinical when she made her decision. Logic would be the only thing keeping Gabriella together. She just couldn't afford to become emotional or she knew she would fall apart. She would talk to Ryan after school, she decided. All she had to do was to get through her classes for the day, and then she would talk to him after school.

Gabriella felt her resolve crumbling as she walked down the hall. She had successfully avoided both Troy and Ryan all day, and had smiled at her other friends, but avoided any actual conversation. She ate her lunch in the nurse's room, feigning a bad migraine, and no one had thought to look for her in there. Her guilt had been compounded by the whispers she heard wherever she went. She would turn around and the whispers would stop. In fact when she looked, people smiled at her, or continued with their conversation, as if it was any other day and they didn't know about the secret plaguing the mind of the now, not so new student. But she could feel the accusatory gaze of the whole school upon her. She only had one more class before the end of the day; English. As she neared the doorway, she froze. She wanted to bang her head against the wall. In her stress, she had forgotten that she had English with Troy _and_ Ryan. As she peered into the classroom, still frozen, she was met with the sight of Troy and Ryan laughing and chatting with each other. It was a little forced, but progress nonetheless. She couldn't believe it. This was what she had been hoping for all semester, but now that it had finally happened, nothing seemed worse than this. What if Ryan said something to Troy? She began feeling dizzy, and had to clutch a nearby locker for support, as she kept staring at the boys she had hidden from all day. As if they felt her stare on them, Troy and Ryan stopped talking, and looked at her in unison, sharing the same confused and anxious expression.

"Ms Montez?" questioned her English teacher, who had also noticed her standing frozen at the doorway. Tears welled up in Gabriella's eyes as she noticed the whole class looking at her.

"Ms Montez?" repeated the teacher. She took a deep breath, and for the first time in her life, she ditched a class, turning around, and running away instead.

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Gabriella kept running, unsure of where she was going. She opened a door and ran up a flight of stairs before pausing, and looking around at her surroundings. She was in the rooftop garden, a place where she had had plenty of fond memories. She almost wished she wasn't here, so she wouldn't ruin it with her current situation, but she was too afraid to return to the actual school. She sat down on a bench and hugged her knees to her chest, and for what seemed like the hundredth time in three days, she cried.

So caught up in her tears, she didn't hear the door to the secret flight of stairs opening or shutting, and she didn't hear the footsteps get louder as a figure kneeled down in front of her. It was only when she felt a familiar hand on her cheek that she jumped in surprise.

She opened her tear stained eyes, and looked straight into the most beautiful deep blue eyes she had ever seen. She blinked a few times, but this time the eyes stayed blue. This only caused her to cry even louder, and more violently as the sobs shook her whole body.

"Gabriella! What's wrong?" Troy's eyes widened further. He sounded so concerned, as he wrapped his arms around her gently, as if she was made of glass. Gabriella buried her face into his shirt, as he stroked her back while she continued to sob.

They didn't say anything; they just remained in that position as 15 minutes passed by, and Gabriella's sobs had become quieter till they were just sniffles. Troy gently peeled Gabriella from his embrace and studied her carefully. She looked down, avoiding his eyes.

"Gabi?" he whispered, not wanting to set her off again. "What's going on?"

It was now or never. She hadn't spoken to Ryan, but there was no time for that. She bit her lip and shut her eyes as she said a quick prayer. She took a deep breath, and looked at Troy. All her ideas and plans flew out of her head as she saw the teary concern of her boyfriend. She had known she couldn't bear lying to him and this only confirmed it. She would take what was coming to her; what she deserved, but she couldn't deceive Troy. She just loved him too much for that.

"We need to talk."

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The school bell rang long before Gabriella finally looked up at Troy with tears in her eyes.

"And then I kissed him. But then I realised it wasn't you. And I pulled away and went home. That's why I couldn't talk to you yesterday. I was scared Troy. Scared of what I had done, scared of losing you, scared of telling him. I was scared. I avoided you both all day today, but then I see you together, and... I just couldn't take it anymore. I am so sorry Troy. And I'm sorry you thought it was your fault yesterday. It's not. It's... it's all my fault. I'm so sorry. I... I love you." Gabriella dissolved into tears again. She imagined the furious blue eyes, piercing into her skin, clouded over till they were almost black. She trembled as she felt the arms around her drop instantly, as he stood up, and walked away. This time she heard the door open, and close, as he walked away from her, as he walked away from _them_.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I can't believe it's the last chapter of my first story! I hope you enjoyed it :) And for the last time in this story- I don't own HSM**

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Gabriella couldn't handle it anymore, she broke down. She lost any semblance of control she thought she had over herself. She slid off the bench and crumpled to the ground in despair. She knew it would hurt, but she could never have imagined how much. And how much had she hurt him? He couldn't even say goodbye to her. This made the pain even worse.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably only 30 minutes, Gabriella knew she couldn't just stay in the rooftop garden forever. For the second time in three days, Gabriella was grateful her mother was still in London, and therefore, not worried about why she still wasn't home, despite school finishing hours ago. Still with tears running down her face, Gabriella gripped the edge of the bench and tried to pull herself up off the ground. It was time for her to go home, and begin her life alone without her friends or... _him._ Just thinking about Troy made her shoulders drop as she felt the wave of tears return in full force.

Suddenly, she felt warm arms around her, and soft lips on her forehead, and cheeks. She looked up in confusion, and saw a watery smile on Troy's face. When she looked in his eyes Gabriella was shocked. Instead of the sharp, furious black eyes she had imagined, she saw instead sky blue eyes tinged with red at the rims. Troy had been crying, and from the looks of it, just as violently as she had. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. Gabriella just stood still numb with shock. What shocked her further was what she saw over his shoulder. Ryan noticed her eyes, and he gave her a half smile. His eyes showed sadness too, but nowhere near Troy's or Gabriella's own eyes.

Gabriella glanced between Troy and Ryan in confusion. Why were they both smiling at her? Hadn't Troy broken up with her? Did they both think she wanted to be with Ryan? But then why was Ryan the one looking sad and resigned? And why was Troy _kissing _her?

"I... I don't understand," she choked out, looking up at Troy. "I thought you would hate me." She glanced at Ryan, "Both of you."

"Gabriella, I could never hate you. I love you," Troy kissed her cheek once more.

"B-but you left," Gabriella pointed out. She couldn't understand what was going on. "What changed your mind?"

Troy looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry I just left like that. It was just such a shock, and I just needed to process everything. I shouldn't have left you up here crying alone, but I wanted to figure out what I want, and if I had stayed here I would have been focusing on you, and making you feel better. I needed to think about myself, and what I want. I didn't want to... I _couldn't_ regret it later. It would have always played on my mind till I resented you for it. But, I realised that I love you, and you love me, and that you forgave me, so I should return the favour."

A sound of someone clearing their throat in the background made Troy bow his head further in embarrassment. "Um, yeah... adItrdtopchRyn," he mumbled quickly in shame.

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" Why was _Troy_ embarrassed?

"He said that he tried to punch me," Ryan said wryly, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Gabriella repeated, this time in surprise.

Troy looked up at her. "Well I was at my locker thinking about everything, a-"

"He was on the floor bawling," Ryan interjected.

Troy exhaled noisily, glaring at Ryan, who merely shook his head. "Okay so I may have shed a tear.. or two."

"Ha!" Ryan exclaimed. Of course Troy's eyes betrayed just how many tears he had shed, causing a stab in Gabriella's heart.

"I was upset!" Troy defended. "Anyway, I was thinking about how you kissed _Ryan _instead of me, at the party that you went to with _Ryan_ instead of _me_, and who do I see coming down the hall? _Ryan_!"

Gabriella felt a deeper stab of pain every time Troy said Ryan's name, but the fact that he was still holding her close to him kept her calm, and left a shred of hope that they may still be friends, if nothing else.

"So then he gets up and throws an upper cut at me!" Ryan gave Troy a withering stare.

"Hey! It was a right hook!" Troy protested.

"Oh sorry, a _right hook. _I was actually more concerned with _ducking_. Luckily we were in the middle of the hallway so he didn't hit his hand on anything when he missed." Ryan grinned at Troy, who good naturedly rolled his eyes in return.

"_Anyway_, after... um... that, Ryan and I got talking... about Saturday. It turns out he ran out of English looking for you too. We were both worried about you. I told him why you were upset, and you know... what you had told me," Troy paused looking up at Ryan.

"And I told Troy that I was sorry for making a move on his girlfriend," Ryan finished.

Gabriella snapped her head towards Ryan. "What? Ryan, no, it wasn't your fault. I leaned towards you."

"Maybe, but Gabriella, I knew you were drunk, and I shouldn't have let you kiss me like that. I've liked you since the summer, and I've been trying to spend as much time alone with you as I could. That's why I invited you to this party. Maybe a part of me wanted you so much that I let you get drunk. But I knew on Saturday, when you looked so distraught in the car, that it wasn't me that you loved, and that I was only hurting you by my attempts. I tried to deny it, but when you ignored my texts on Sunday, I realised that I would rather have you as a friend, than not at all. That's if you're okay with it," he hesitated looking at Troy, "Both of you. I really am sorry."

Gabriella stood up, bringing Troy up with her. "Stop it. Both of you! You're apologising to me for the stupidest reasons. I'm the one that screwed up. I shouldn't have had that much to drink. I'm not an invalid, I should have stopped myself. And there's no excuse for kissing you, and then leading you on Ryan. I'm really sorry." She turned to Troy, "Troy, I don't know how you could ever trust me again," and looking at Ryan she said, "And I don't know how you could ever forgive me."

Gabriella braced herself for their change of heart, but it never came.

"Gabriella, everyone makes mistakes. So we may have a bit of a trust issue for a while, but we'll work through it. I'm not saying everything is perfect, but I love you, and I know you love me, only me. We can get through this, just like in the summer." Troy spun her around till her back was to his chest, and slid his arms around her waist, and clutched her to him securely, both of them facing Ryan.

"And I forgive you, if you forgive me. I've promised Troy, and myself, that I'm not going to push anything. This isn't _Twilight_ where you have to choose between your best friend and your boyfriend." He ignored Troy, who raised his eyebrow at the mention of _Twilight._ "You can have us both, the way you want us. I know it's not going to work out between us romantically, but please, be my friend again."

"He's really not such a bad guy, you know. Even if he does read _Twilight. _Maybe we could start over and all be friends this time?" Troy smiled down at Gabriella who looked up incredulously. "What? Okay, okay, that's what you've been saying this whole time. Fine. But I never really spoke to the guy before."

"Hello? 'The guy' is still standing here!" Ryan waved his arms. "But you know what? You're not such a bad guy yourself. He really cares about you Gabriella."

Gabriella felt like she was in a dream. Everything was working out after all. Sure she and Troy wouldn't be the same, but maybe with this whole Ryan thing behind them, one day they would be better. And she had her best friend back, and this time he wouldn't get between her and Troy. And maybe, just maybe they would all be friends. She didn't want to get ahead of herself so instead she clasped her fingers between Troy's, which were resting on her stomach, and gave Ryan a big smile, and said the only thing she could, "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked the ending. I really wanted them to stay together because they're Troyella. I know some of you may be questioning why Troy was so quick to forgive her but I feel that he is the one that cares more about her than the other way around. And I didn't mean for Ryan to be the bad guy, but I don't think Gabriella would just kiss him if he wasn't trying to make her do it. Anyway, I hope you guys all liked the story :D**


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